This invention relates to environmentally safe pesticide compositions. Particularly, the invention features pesticidal formulations, particularly fungicidal and arthropodicidal formulations comprising certain mono alpha carboxylic fatty acids and/or their soaps, lecithin, and seaweed extract. The formulations exhibit significant pesticidal activity with a reduction in phytotoxicity. The fungicidal compositions are effective in the control of a broad range of fungi and mosses, are environmentally safe, and are essentially non-toxic to the user.
The use of pesticides has greatly enhanced ornamental and agricultural plant productivity, but it has become apparent that there are limits to the amount of petrochemical-based materials that safely may be absorbed into the environment. Catastrophic, unanticipated, and relatively long term effects experienced with previously used materials have increased the awareness of the potentially dangerous environmental impact on the widespread use of such synthetic pesticides. This has contributed to the creation of regulatory agencies charged with protecting the environment, and has provided the impetus for research for potentially less dangerous pesticidal materials. Salts of fatty acids, primarily sodium or potassium fatty acid soaps, recently have been used commercially as insecticides. Compositions having excellent insecticidal properties which exploit this type of active ingredient are available commercially under the trademark SAFER INSECTICIDAL SOAP. These fatty acid soaps are naturally occurring materials having no known long term environmental effects. They have proven very effective against a variety Of insects, but when applied to plants, particularly at higher concentrations, are somewhat phytotoxic.
Similarly, studies have been initiated to develop a broad-spectrum fatty acid-based fungicide which is non-toxic to the user and environmentally safe. Three types of fatty acid soaps were selected and developed as a fungicide and moss-killer. The formulation is currently sold under the trademark De-Moss. De-Moss.TM. is an excellent fungicide and moss killer when applied to walkways or painted surfaces, but when applied to flowering decorative plants, shrubs, fruit trees and the like, it can be phytotoxic and has a relatively small useful concentration range. Specifically, the concentration range of De-Moss.TM. that has acceptably low phytotoxicity but acceptably high fungitoxicity is too restrictive. Below the effective concentration range, fungicidal activity diminishes; above the range, the plant tissue is damaged.
It is an object of this invention to provide pesticidal formulations, i.e., fungicides and insecticides, comprising natural, biodegradable materials which are inexpensive, non-toxic to animals, only mildly toxic to plants, and effective against a broad range of plant pests. Another object is to provide fungicidal, insecticidal, and miticidal compositions which can be applied to the leaves and flora of green plants. Another object is to provide an environmentally safe fungicidal composition comprising an aqueous solution of natural products which has low acceptable phytotoxicity and low cost. Another object is to provide a method of reducing the phytotoxicity of fatty acid based fungicidal, miticidal, and insecticidal solutions.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow.